Artists: Joshua Nordstrom

Do you have any special training: I was mentored but learned a lot on my own as far as tattooing goes. I am a self taught artist, I didn't go to art school. I read a lot of books and studied art independently. I feel like I have a pretty good grasp on the way it is supposed to be done. You either have it or you don't.

Tell us about the style of your work: Diverse, I can make the customer happy with just about any style of tattoo. Personally I like to do big lines and bold color in my work. I like to make tattoos that really stand off the skin, even after they heal. My tattoos heal as bright as the day you got them so a lot of people think they are fake.

Conventions usually worked: I don't really go to conventions, it is too expensive for me. The economy is bad where I live and I am just trying to keep my shop open.

What tattoo artist do you most admire: Nick Baxter and Nikko Hurtado stand out to me. I like anyone who is doing something different than everyone else. I like to see tattooing that pushes peoples perception of what can be done with a tattoo machine. There are a lot of people doing it now days and there is a lot of great artists that aren't getting exposure.

Before someone gets a tattoo what advice do you give them?: Check the artists portfolio. Is it what you want? Can the artist do the style of work that you want? If so get it. Don't bargain hunt.

How did you get into tattooing: Lots of no's and then finally a yes. Hard work, drawing until my fingers hurt and working on machines until I found the setups that suit my style of work and pushing that to its limit.

What inspires you to be an artist: I like taking a few ideas from the customer and then coming up with a unique design that hasn't been done before. I like to think that I am an artist not a inkjet printer. "I pick it, you stick it!" is not my favorite thing to hear.

What kind of tattoos do you look forward to doing: Anything realistic, I really like the photorealistic style of tattooing. I also like neo-traditional, there is so much that can be done still in that style and I hope people keep pushing the limits.